Background Honeybee pesticide poisoning A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers © 2012 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-1-74254-386-4 ISSN 1440-6845 Honeybee pesticide poisoning: a risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers Publication No. 12/043 Project No. MT10060 The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. Products have been included on the basis that they either contain a bee related warning on the product label, or they have the same active constituent(s), active constituent(s) concentration, application rate and intended use as products which contain a bee related warning on the label. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165. Project Manager and Lead Author Daryl Connelly TQA Australia Phone: 03 6423 6008 Email: [email protected] Web: www.tqainc.com.au Special acknowledgement Special acknowledgement is given to the Victorian Department of Primary Industries Chemical Standards Branch and Operations project team for researching the Infopest database and compiling the list of broadacre and horticultural pesticides known to be toxic to bees in Australia. RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 2, 15 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6271 4100 Fax: 02 6271 4199 Email: [email protected]. Web: www.rirdc.gov.au Electronically published by RIRDC in May 2012. Print-on-demand by Union Offset Printing, Canberra at www.rirdc.gov.au or phone 1300 634 313. Table of contents Foreword 4 Executive summary 5 Background 6 The importance of commercial pollination to the horticultural industry 6 The importance of commercial pollination to beekeepers 7 The future 8 The reason for this booklet 9 Section 1: Pesticide toxicity 11 How chemicals are assessed and registered in Australia 11 Misconceptions 12 The list of pesticides toxic to honeybees 13 Other things to consider 15 Section 2: Managing the risk of honeybee poisoning 17 How bee poisoning occurs 17 Things that farmers can do to reduce the risk 17 Things that beekeepers can do to reduce the risk 19 Section 3: Responding to a poisoning event 20 Identifying the symptoms of poisoning 20 Managing affected hives 21 Investigation and reporting 22 Glossary 24 Consultation and acknowledgements 25 Bibliography 26 Appendix 1 - Horticultural and broadacre pesticides known to be toxic to honeybees in Australia – alphabetically sorted by active constituent 27 Appendix 2 – Horticultural and broadacre pesticides known to be toxic to honeybees in Australia – aphabetically sorted by product name 59 Appendix 3 – List of the active constituents utilised by the horticultural and broadacre pesticides known to be toxic to honeybees in Australia 92 Appendix 4 – Pesticide Risk Management Plan 93 Appendix 5 – Pesticide Poisoning Report 95 Appendix 6 – Notification letter 96 Honeybee pesticide poisoning 3 A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers Foreword Foreword An increase in the number of managed beehives available for crop pollination is crucial to the continued prosperity of the Australian horticultural industry. Further development of the managed pollination sector will provide important opportunities for the honeybee industry. Historically, a significant barrier in this regard, has been the risk that beekeepers face in relation to honeybee pesticide poisoning. This publication will help farmers and beekeepers overcome this barrier and manage the risks, by providing a list of the broadacre and horticultural pesticides that are known to be toxic to honeybees in Australia, as well as outlining good practices and providing useful templates. Products have been included on the basis that they either contain a bee related warning on the product label, or they have the same active constituent(s), active constituent(s) concentration, application rate and intended use as products which contain a bee related warning on the label. This project is part of the Pollination Program – a jointly funded partnership with the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The Pollination Program is managed by RIRDC and aims to secure the pollination of Australia’s horticultural and agricultural crops into the future on a sustainable and profitable basis. Research and development in this program is conducted to raise awareness that will help protect pollination in Australia. RIRDC funds for the program are provided by the Honeybee Research and Development Program, with industry levies matched by funds provided by the Australian Government. Funding from HAL for the program is from the apple and pear, almond, avocado, cherry, vegetable and summerfruit levies and voluntary contributions from the dried prune and melon industries, with matched funds from the Australian Government. This report is an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 2000 research publications which can be viewed and freely downloaded from our website www.rirdc.gov.au. Information on the Pollination Program is available online at www.rirdc.gov.au. Most of RIRDC’s publications are available for viewing, free downloading or purchasing online at www.rirdc.gov.au. Purchases can also be made by phoning 1300 634 313. Craig Burns Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Honeybee pesticide poisoning 4 A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers Executive summary Executive summary This publication will help farmers and beekeepers manage the risk of honeybee pesticide poisoning. It is hoped that by doing so, more beekeepers will be encouraged to provide managed hives for crop pollination, and farmers and beekeepers will be able to form rewarding and mutually beneficial relationships. In addition to providing a list of 349 broadacre and horticultural pesticides known to be toxic to honeybees in Australia, this publication outlines good practices for farmers and beekeepers to adopt, and contains a number of useful forms, contact details and other relevant information. Only 200,000 to 220,000 of Australia’s 500,000 managed beehives are currently utilised for honeybee dependent crop pollination services. If Varroa mite becomes established in Australia, it will wipe out much of the feral honeybee population and 480,000 managed hives will be required to provide pollination services every winter and spring. Furthermore, it has been estimated that peak demand could increase this figure to 750,000 hives, far outstripping current supply. The survival of the Australian horticultural industry is dependent on hundreds of thousands of additional honeybee colonies being made available for commercial pollination, and it is hoped that this publication will play a part in achieving this. Honeybee pesticide poisoning 5 A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers Background Background The importance of commercial pollination to the horticultural industry In Australia, thirty five horticultural industries are reliant on pollination for most of their production, and in 2000 the value that honeybee pollination brought to these Honeybees are crops was estimated at $1.7 billion. Many thought to be responsible for more crops are responsive to honeybee around one in pollination to varying degrees, and some every three mouthfuls of crops, such as almonds, apples, pears and food that we eat. cherries, depend almost exclusively on honeybee pollination. All up, honeybees are thought to be responsible for around one in every three mouthfuls of food that we eat. Due to the large number of feral European honeybees in Australia (i.e. those living in tree hollows, as opposed to managed beehives), the vital role of honeybee pollination is not widely recognised or valued. Only a small proportion of farmers manage the process by paying for pollination services. As we will see, this is likely to change. Honeybee pesticide poisoning 6 A risk management tool for Australian farmers and beekeepers Background The importance of commercial pollination to beekeepers There are approximately